Elon Musk Said The Tesla Roadster Should Be Available In 2023
Elon Musk said the Tesla Roadster should be available in 2023
Earlier this week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated that supply chain constraints continue to put a strain on the company, and that the company is delaying deliveries of the new Roadster until at least 2023 as a result.
He stated specifically in a tweet: "As a result of the extreme supply chain shortages that have plagued the year 2021, it makes no difference if we introduce 17 new products; none will be shipped. The new Roadster should be available in 2023, assuming there are no major setbacks in the year 2022."
Tesla is not the only automaker that is experiencing supply chain difficulties. Other automakers, such as Toyota and Ford, have reduced production volumes as a result of the shortage of semiconductor chips.
Tesla's next-generation high-performance electric vehicle was scheduled to make its debut in 2020, according to the company. Announcing plans for the next-generation Roadster at an event introducing the Tesla Semi, a heavy-duty truck that the company has yet to mass produce, was the first time Tesla made the announcement.
Back then, the company promised a top speed of at least 250 miles per hour, a 200 kilowatt-hour battery pack that would allow the Roadster to travel for more than 620 miles on a single charge, and three electric motors that would allow the Roadster to accelerate from zero to sixty miles per hour in less than two seconds (and a quarter-mile in under 9 seconds).
SpaceX
A premium "SpaceX option" for the next-generation Roadster, according to Musk, will include rocket thrusters that will allow the vehicle to hover hundreds of feet above the ground. Jay Leno referred to it as a "full-on James Bond" vehicle during an episode of his talk show "Jay Leno's Garage."
According to Tesla's website, reservations for the Roadster require a $5,000 credit card payment up front, followed by a $45,000 wire transfer payment within ten days of the initial payment. Reservation fees are fully refundable until the point at which the purchase agreement is signed. Tesla has stated that it will send these purchase agreements to customers closer to the time of the vehicle's production.
Recently, Musk and other Tesla executives have discussed supply chain issues and component shortages, with a particular emphasis on chip shortages, during the company's quarterly earnings calls.
During the company's second-quarter shareholder call, Musk stated that the company was experiencing a "significant struggle" to procure enough modules that control the airbags and seatbelts in its cars. Because of a scarcity of those modules, the company's manufacturing operations in Fremont, California, and Shanghai were severely curtailed.
According to Musk, Tesla increased the prices of several of its vehicles and removed some components in response to rising costs of parts and raw materials as a result of recent supply chain strains, which he announced on May 31.
